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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. court — of law
  3. sharp — clever
  4. court — for sport
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. spring — the season
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. cap — a hat
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. spring — of water
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. craft — a skill
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. court — of a king
  21. spring — a coil
  22. craft — boats
  23. bank — of a river
  24. rule — a law

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com